Shellfish Bisque with Poached Oysters

Ingredients:

4 crab shells
500g prawn shells
1/4 pt brandy
1 medium onion
2 cloves garlic, sliced
1 leek
3 carrots
2 sticks celery
2 tbsp tomato puree
2 pts fish stock
1/2 pt double cream
4 bay leaves
100g unsalted butter
Oysters (1 or 2 per person)

Method:

1. Melt the butter in a heavy based pan and add chopped onion, leek, carrots, celery and sliced garlic and allow to sweat slowly to release the flavours

2. Add the crab, prawn shells and brandy and bash well to break up the crab shells in the pan

3. Add tomato puree and continue to sweat slowly

4. Cover the shells with fish stock or water, add bay leaves and simmer for about 1 hour.

5. Push the bisque through a sieve putting as much pressure on the shells and vegetables to extract all the flavour

6. Reboil and reduce to obtain the correct flavour, add the cream and check the seasoning

7. Drop the oysters into the boiling soup and take straight off the heat. Do not allow them to over cook

8. Serve immediately allowing 1 or 2 oysters per person depending on how many courses are to be eaten